Pharmacy medication safety bottle with pill viewer window and label verification system

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention comprise an improved prescription medication bottle that has a viewing window. This “viewer window” will display one or more pills, thereby enabling the pills to be visible within the bottle to the patient and pharmacy staff. The bottle comprises an internal shelf structure which creates a viewing chamber. One or more pills will become “caught” by the shelf structure and be displayed in the viewing chamber when the pharmacist places all the pills into the vial. The viewing chamber is visible through the viewing window. The viewing window may have the capability to magnify the area in which the pill rests and thereby provide a magnified view of the pill.

1 . A container for storing and dispensing items, the container comprising:
 a container body defining an internal chamber for storing the items, the container body comprising a neck portion defining an opening to the internal chamber, the container body further comprising a viewing window configured for enabling a user to view the items stored in the internal chamber; and   a cap removably attachable to the neck portion.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising a shelf within the internal chamber adjacent to the viewing window, the shelf configured to catch one or more items and to hold the one or more items adjacent to the viewing window for enabling the user to view the items through the viewing window. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the shelf comprises a floor portion and a wall portion, wherein the floor portion, the wall portion, and an inner surface of the viewing window together form a display chamber to catch one or more items and to hold the one or more items adjacent to the viewing window. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a deflector element configured for directing at least some of the items onto the shelf as the items are placed into the container.   
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 4 , wherein the deflector element bifurcates the opening to the internal chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a shelf structure within the internal chamber adjacent to the viewing window, the shelf configured to catch one or more items and to hold the one or more items adjacent to the viewing window for enabling the user to view the items through the viewing window, the shelf structure comprising:
 a floor; 
 one or more walls; and 
 a deflector; 
 wherein the floor, the one or more walls, and an inner surface of the viewing window together form a display chamber to catch one or more items and to hold the one or more items adjacent to the viewing window, and where the deflector is configured for directing at least some of the items into the display chamber as the items are placed into the container. 
   
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein the deflector bifurcates the opening to the internal chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein the shelf structure is affixed to the neck portion. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein the shelf structure comprises one or more tabs, wherein the neck portion comprises one or more slots corresponding to the one or more tabs of the shelf structure, and wherein the shelf structure is affixed to the neck portion by inserting the one or more tabs of the shelf structure into the corresponding one or more slots of the neck portion. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a label having at least an image of the items stored in the container printed thereon, such that a user may compare the image to the items stored in the container to verify the correct items are stored in the container.   
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein the label defines an opening corresponding to the viewing window, and where the label opening aligns with the viewing window when the label is in place on the container to such that the label does not obstruct the viewing window. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein the image printed on the label is adjacent the label opening. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the viewing window comprises a magnifying window. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 13 , wherein the magnifying window comprises one of a convex lens or a Fresnel lens.